liao 605the death of the Khitan emperor T’ai-tsu. The Khitan suspended the
court for seven days after the death of Kao-tsu of Later Chin.
The Later Chin offered Kao-tsu’s testamentary gifts to the Khitan
in 943. The Sung offered T’ai-tsu’s testamentary gifts to the Liao in
977.
Neither the Chinese nor the Khitan granted posthumous titles to
each other, but they did present honorific titles. Kao-tsu of Later Chin
offered such titles to the Khitan Empress Dowager, widow of T’ai-tsu,
and to T’ai-tsung twice in 937 and again in 938. On the last occasion
T’ai-tsung accepted. Later Chin envoys conferred the titles on Dec.3
and 17, 938. In 939, T’ai-tsung informed the Southern T’ang of these
titles, which shows that they were some source of pride to him. The
whole account looks therefore like a diplomatic coup for the Later Chin.
It was not. The Khitan and Later Chin did in actual fact exchange
honorific titles, and T’ai-tsung conferred his on Kao-tsu earlier, on
Oct.30, 938. He thereby emphasized the precedence of Liao.
Still other missions were undertaken to announce the founding of a
new dynasty, the delivery of tribute, a conquest, a rebellion, the move
to a new capital, to express thanks, to inquire about well-being, to
ask for physicians, to discuss border markets, and to request peace.
But it can be taken for granted that trade was not neglected on any
of these occasions.
As was common in China, missions moved in both directions even
in times of war.
The third period began in 1005 with the treaty of Shan-yüan. Sung
bought itself peace with an annual payment to Liao of 100,000 ounces
of silver and 200,000 bolts of silk, in 1042 raised to 200,000 ounces
of silver and 300,000 bolts of silk. The Sung could easily afford the
expense. But, whatever euphemisms the Chinese resorted to, this placed
them in a tributary relationship to Liao. The Sung struggled unsuc-
cessfully for equality, and the Liao maintained its supremacy. Chinese
princesses were not offered and would not have been accepted. Hon-
orific titles were not exchanged. Posthumous titles were not granted.
When informed of Sheng-tsung’s death in 1031, the Sung emperor
Jen-tsung not only suspended the court for seven days but together
with his empress faced north. According to Chinese ritual, an emperor
faced south and a subject north. When in 1076 Shen-tsung of Sung
was tardy in ordering mourning for the Liao Empress Dowager, the
Liao instructed him curtly to suspend the court for seven days and wear
mourning garments. In 1092, Che-tsung of Sung suspended the court